Portable scaffold



June 10, 1958- R. A. MASSE PORTABLE SCAFF OLD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Filed June 5, 1956 25 INVENTOR.

Rene 0Q Nasse BYfiMI/JW/ ATTORNEYS.

June 10, 1958 R. A. MASSE PORTABLE SCAFFOLD 2. Sh'eets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 5, 1956 INVENTOR. Pena ,fl M336 M ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent PORTABLE SCAFFOLD Rene A. Masse, Hackensack, N. J.

Application June 5, 1956, Serial No. 589,433

1 Claim. (Cl. 304-3l.5)

The invention is an improvement in a portable scaffolding devicedisclosed in Patent No. 2,678,243, issued May ll, 1954.

The device disclosed in the above patent comprised a frame section and ahook section slidably related to each other.' When attaching the deviceon a ladder, it is necessary to pass the hook legs section over a rungof the ladder from the rear thereof and to assemble the .frame sectionto the leg section from the front of the ladder.

An object of this invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter so constructed as to be attached as a unit to a ladder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter so constructed as to adapt the same for use on either side ofthe ladder.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter so constructed that it may be swung from the front of theladder to the back of the ladder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction as will be more fully described andparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a device embodying the inventionand attached to a ladder;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partially broken away to betterillustrate the hook legs engaged with the uprightof the ladder; e

Figure 3 is a top plan view'of a fragmentary portion of the devicelooking in the direction of the arrows on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 ofFigure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are sectional views taken substantially along lines 55and 66, respectively of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is a side elevational view showing the device attached to theladder in a manner so as to position the frame of the device on theopposite side of the ladder from that shown in Figure 2;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of the device shown attached to awindow frame; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 9-9 ofFigure 7.

The scafiold device of the present embodiment comprises a frame 10 whichis preferably made of a continuous length of rod or tubing which is bentinto a form so as to provide a pair of parallel arms 11 for horizontaldisposition. Each arm 11 has a depending portion 12 which slantsinwardly and is connected to an arm 13 which extends parallel to arm 11.These arm portions 13 are connected to each other by a bridge 14 forhorizontal disposition.

The frame is reinforced with braces 20 and 21 which extend between arms11 and 13. The braces 20 are secured to the arms 11 by clamp fastening22 (see Figure 5). These are similar to each other and comprise agenerally rectangular block 23 having an opening 24 Patented June 10,1958 I lower side of the block and at right angles to the axis ofopening 24. A slot 26 extends inwardly from one edge of the block acrossthe opening 24 lengthwise thereof and across opening 25 crosswisethereof. This provides oppositely disposed resilient portion 27. The arm11 is slidably received through opening 24, and the adjacent terminalend of brace 20 is received in opening 25 to bottom therein. A clampbolt 28 extends through the portions 27 and is engaged by a nut 29 so asto draw the portion 27 into firm engagement with the arm 11 in the knownmanner. It will be seen referring to Figure 5 that the end of brace 20extends across slot 26 and drawing the portions 27 against arm 11 willalso cause the wall of opening 25 to bind against the brace 20 andsecure the same in place.

The other or lower end of brace 20 is secured to the arm 13 by means ofa clamp 30 (see Figure- 9) which is similar to clamp 22 with theexception of opening 25 which is made to extend through the clamp block.The

opening 25' is screw threaded as at 31 and threadedly re- 1 ceives theadjacent end of brace 20. It will be seen in this Figure 9 that aportion of opening 25 and the brace 20 forms a socket 32 for a purposewhich will hereinafter appear.

The upper end of braces 21 are similarly secured to the arm 11 by meansof a clamp fastening 30 which likewise diametrically across the bore 39of the sleeve and through tion thereon.

the wall thereof. A short rod 40 is secured to the boss 37 to be heldstationary and to extend outwardly radially with reference to the bore39 and is provided with an enlarged head 41. A lockpin 42 extendsthrough the opening 38 and is provided with an enlarged flathead 43which is apertured to receive the rod 40 and having a sliding rela- Acompression spring 44 surrounds the rod 40 and one end thereof engagesagainst the head 43 and the other end of the spring abuts against thehead 41. Thus, the spring tends to bias the pin 38 to its lockedrelation. The end portions of arms 11 are each provided with a pluralityof equally spaced, openings 15 which extend diametrically through thearms and these openings 15 and opening 38 may be moved into registry sothat the lock pin will extend through such opening 15 and thus securethe arms 11 and sleeves against relative axial movement. In order todisengage the pin 33 from the locked position, the head 43 is movedupwardly along the rod 40 against the pressure of spring 44 a distancesufiicient to clear the pin from openings 15. The arm 11 may bewithdrawn entirely from the sleeve 35, or the arm 11 may be slid alongthe sleeve to register such opening 15 with opening 38 so as to providethe adjustment desired. Upon releasing head 43, the spring will returnthe pin 42 through registering openings to locked relation.

The sleeves 35 are connected to each other by a cross member or brace 45which may bear solid rod or tubular material. The sleeves each have anapertured boss 46 which receives the ends of brace 45 and securedthereon in an appropriate manner, as by way of example, frictionengagement therewith. A pair of legs 47 are slidably mounted on brace 45and are free to swing thereon. The

a members are similar, and each has an outwardly extending projection orabutment 48 and terminates in a curvature or hook formation having arectangular shaped pad 49 secured thereto.

In mounting the device on a ladder so as to provide a work platform atthe front of the ladder which may be at the upper end portion thereof,the leg members 47 are slid inwardly toward each other along the brace45 so as to permit passing the same over a rung R and between theuprights or rail R of the ladder. The leg members 47 may now be slidoutwardly along the brace or cross member 45 so as to contact the insideof the rails and position the projection 48 to engage the rear side ofthe ladder rail, as shown in several views of the drawing.

The bridge 14 will engage against the front side of the ladder rails.The weight of the device being located at the front of the ladder willtend to cause the frame to swing about the bridge 14 as a fulcrum andprovide a jamming action on said rails between the rails and the bridge14 and projections 48 to firmly hold the device in place. The workplatform 50 may now be placed in position on the arms 11, as shown inFigures 1 and 2, and detachably secured thereto by spring clips 51secured to the under side of the platform. A safety rail 52 is provided,and this is supported on post 53 which is frictionally received insockets 33 to extend therein a distance sufiicicnt to be retained insecure position. The upper end of each post is provided with a bracket54 in which is received the rail 52. Thus, the scaffold positioned atthe front of the ladder provides for the worker to reach areas above theladder.

In Figure 7 I have shown the device when in use on the back or rear sideof the ladder. To mount the same on the ladder as shown in this Figure7, the device is first attached to the front of the ladder, as abovedescribed. Prior to adding the railing posts and platform, the frame 10is swung upwardly about the axis of cross member 45, thus swinging thesides 12 on either side of the ladder to the back side of the ladderrail in inverted position with the bridge 14 engaging against the frontof the rails at a location above the brace or cross member 45. The framesection may be adjusted to position the arms 11 horizontally. Theplatform may now be attached to the arms 11 and the scaffold is readyfor use, the jamming action being substantially the same as abovedescribed. In both cases (Figure 1 and Figure 7) the arms 47 preventsliding of the device downwardly of the ladder.

It will be apparent that the device may be employed ill in the fashionof a so-called ladder jack by using two 50 ladders (not shown) andattaching a device to each ladder .4 similarly as shown in Figure 7. Aplank or the like (not shown) may be extended to rest on each platform50. With the frame section 11 in the inverted position of Figure 7, thesocket 32 in the end of brace 20 will be spaced from the buildingagainst which the ladders lean. The posts 53 may be inserted intosockets 32 in brace 20 and a long two by four piece of lumber (notshown) may be inserted into the brackets 54 so as to span the spacebetween ladders and provide the safety rail.

In Figure 8 l have shown the device as used in connection with a windowopening. In this relation the hook element 47 will be positioned for thepad 49 to engage against the inner frame 55 of the window and the bridge14 to engage against the outer wall 56 of the building, as shown. Theplatform 50 and safety rail may be next attached in place. The weight ofthe scaffold will act to pivot about pad 49, jamming bridge 14 againstwall 56, in a manner similar to that above described to secure thedevice in position.

I claim:

A portable scaffold comprising a frame section including a pair ofparallel arms for horizontal disposition, a slidable member received oneach of said arms, a cross member connecting said slidable members, apair of legs mounted on said cross member for axial movement thereon andfor swinging movement relative thereto, said legs extending from saidcross member and adapted to be passed between the rails of an inclinedladder above a rung thereof and slidable axially of said cross member toengage against the inner side of said rails, abutments extendinglaterally outwardly from said legs to engage the rear side of saidrails, said abutments being fixed to said legs to be held stationarytherewith means including a horizontal extending bridge connected tosaid arms, said bridge extending at a position beneath said arms so asto engage against the front side of said rail, said frame extendingoutwardly of said rails whereby the weight of said scaffold will tend torock said frame about said points of engagement with said rail tosupport said scaffold by the jamming engagement at said bridge andabutments with said ladder rails.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS480,991 Boettcher Aug. 16, 1892 1,059,287 Dybeck Apr. 15, 1913 1,187,084Oberti June 13, 1916 2,678,243 Masse May 11, 1954

